A/N: This is my little collection of stories that were inspired by songs. Not song fics mind you, just ideas that came to me while listening to my vast collection of music. A lot of these songs are a bit obscure but they just seemed to speak the stories to me. Give them a listen while you're reading these if you'd like. Thanks for reading!
Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or its characters.
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Let it Spin
Inspired by "River Waltz" by the Cowboy Junkies
One by one the remaining lights in the Seventh Heaven were extinguished with the flick of a single finger from the only occupant who was still awake. Tifa Lockhart sighed tiredly as the night marked the end of another long day. Stretching, she felt the crack and pop of her bones as they protested angrily. In all her youth she would have never thought that she would feel so old at 24. But she guessed she should be thankful that she could even walk after all the wear and tear life had put her body through. She yawned and mentally recounted her steps, making sure she had not forgotten anything. The door was locked and bolted, the sign was up, she'd waited up for Cloud and sent him off to bed, tucked the kids into bed, kissed them both goodnight, and cleaned out her tip jar. Satisfied she had remembered everything she began her quest to climb into bed herself and bid the night farewell. The street lights glowed through the windows providing enough light to keep her from tripping over the various tables and chairs as she made her way to the stairs.
She stopped and chided herself as she saw a lone bottle sitting atop the bar. For anyone else it wouldn't have been a big deal. But her compulsive urge to have everything in its place compelled her to slip behind the bar to put away the rogue liquor. Stopping short of returning it to the shelf she glanced at the liquid contents and sat the bottle back on the counter. Suddenly the bed didn't seem quite as inviting as it once was.
Oh why the hell not?
A weary smile graced her lips as she whispered softly, "A little hair of the dog?"
Tifa placed a hand on the bar for balance as she leaped over to the other side to sit down on one of the bar stools. "Don't mind if I do," she laughed quietly, bemused at the ludicrous act of answering herself. Reaching back over the counter top she grabbed four shot glasses and sat them in front of her.
More sloppily than her professional side would have allowed a paying customer she filled the glasses with the contents of the bottle. Once they were filled to the brim she sat the bottle down and carefully lined the shots up in front of her. Picking the first one up, she raised it in salute to the empty bar.
"To more days like this."
She lifted the glass to her lips and tossed the drink back. Her face contorted into a wince as the liquid fire made its journey down her throat to settle in the pit of her stomach where it smoldered like hot embers in a fireplace. Her lungs inhaled sharply at the unexpected intensity and she coughed violently as tears formed in her eyes.
"Shit." she wheezed, "What is this?" Tifa squinted at the label on the bottle unable to make out the name in the darkness. She couldn't believe she actually served this. No wonder some of her customers had to be carried out of the bar after a few drinks. There was no enjoyment in this drink…only searing, unadulterated pain.
The barmaid decided to be more vigilant about what she allowed in her inventory. Though afterwords she considered that most of her patrons came to her bar to drown their pain, yet there were some who came to be reminded of it. Her mood quickly became somber at the thought and she cursed herself for allowing the weight of the world to burden her thoughts tonight.
Tonight she just wanted to be another bystander on the planet worrying about trivial things like kids tracking in mud on her freshly mopped floor or Cloud accidentally sitting on her cell phone while haphazardly trying to take his boots off. Two things that consequently happened earlier to her that day, and she could do nothing but laugh. Two perfectly good reasons to get angry and throw her hands up in frustration and all she could do was laugh. The guilty parties were dumbfounded respectfully, but it didn't matter. If every day could only be a muddy floor and a broken cell phone she would be eternally grateful.
She knew it was an impossible dream, a silly dream to latch onto when the world confronted you with reality. Days like this could vanish like a struggling flame in the howling darkness. Something would inevitably come again, its will thrusting them back into a battle for the planet, its inhabitants, everyone and everything they cared for. It would seem that after the clash with Sephiroth and Jenova, the battle with the remnants, and the recent struggle against Deep Ground that they would have shed enough blood, lost enough friends, and shattered enough of their souls to have earned their chance to be normal. If just once they could be the spectators on the ground looking to the skies with hope that someone would save them from a worldwide plight. Why did it sometimes seem like they were the only ones who could pick up their armor and carry the heavy burden?
Because in essence they had built the perfect mousetrap and the world would always return to beat a path to their door. It was destiny. And there was no escaping it. She wondered if her friends were this tired too. All of their desires for personal revenge in the beginning had inevitably come with this price. She recalled how Cloud had talked about returning to their interrupted reality after Meteor. It was a wonderful thought, even though neither of them knew where to begin. Now she wondered if it could ever be permanent. If there would ever come a time where they could live out normal lives. A life where she didn't worry every waking moment about something tearing their family apart. What if the next crisis was the one who orphaned Marlene and Denzel yet again. Or worse... if something happened to them. That thought caused her chest to ache and her stomach tie itself in knots.
Her vision began to blur around the edges as unshed tears mixed with the effects of the alcohol. She shook her head and returned her gaze to the second shot glass in front of her. Still determined not to drown herself in bad memories and needless worries, she raised the drink to her lips and decided to sip the intoxicating contents more slowly this time. It was then she noticed the small trail of liquid snaking down the bar from a small pool of the concoction that she had spilled while haphazardly filling the glasses. Tifa watched its journey for a moment before making the mental note that she still really needed to get the bar leveled.
The alcohol continued to travel down its undetermined path to parts unknown while the young woman found her thoughts moving through the twists and turns of the diminutive tributary. She closed her eyes, imagining the steady roar of a river in her ears. It ran through an open valley in the midst of a forest a thousand miles from everywhere. The sun would filter through the evergreens casting welcome shadows around a secluded cabin where her family could live without fear, where they could be normal without constantly looking over their shoulders. The children could run and play freely amid the shimmering green underneath the bright blue sky. She imagined herself standing on the porch watching their antics and listening to their laughter echo through the pines. She felt a pair of arms encircle her from behind and turned to see him standing behind her with a lazy smile on his face. His blue eyes gazing at her with a clarity and a peace that neither of them had ever really known. She felt his lips graze the skin of her cheek as she took a deep breath of the fresh air now free of the city's pollutants. There was no one for hundreds of miles except them, and the river.
Paradise.
Tifa shook her head and brought herself back from her daydream with a forlorn sigh. She was too old to be daydreaming. It was a paradise that was nothing more than a delusional dream brought on by this god forsaken alcohol because quite frankly…
"The world isn't big enough," she muttered before finishing her second drink. The liquid fire was becoming easier to swallow as the tonic performed its magic, filling her body with a comfortable lack of feeling that sank into her bones. The river of alcohol had begun to evaporate on the lacquered wood surface. With it her makeshift fantasy fell apart. The mountains crumbled, the trees collapsed, and the river dried up leaving behind a dusty, cracked wasteland. And yet, her family still remained, standing amid the inhospitable surroundings, somewhat shaken yet no worse for wear. They simply dusted themselves off and wandered into the distance to whatever lay ahead of them. Reality. Yes she could certainly drink to that too.
"Tifa?"
She smiled upon her threshold of deteriorating concerns at the voice of the man now staring at her from the hallway adjacent to the bar. The brunette did not return his gaze, but instead closed her eyes to see the soft glow of his irises in the dim light of the room with a look that lied somewhere between confusion and exhaustion. His brow furrowed and his lips taught with an expression of unease. His unkempt hair hugging tightly to the side of his head that he'd buried in his pillow. Yes she could see him just fine. She had memorized his face long ago.
"Tifa," he tried again, taking an uncertain step forward. His voice was heavy and thick with sleep. Sometimes Cloud Strife had trouble at night distinguishing reality from his dreams. No doubt they had wrestled him from his slumber as they had so many nights before. Or perhaps he was awakened by the lack of her warmth in the bed they shared. Whatever the reason, she was more than appreciative for his company.
"Care to have a drink with me Cloud?" she said softly, finally breaking her silence and ending his torment.
The blonde responded with a nearly inaudible grunt before striding silently on bare feet to the vacant stool next to her. She continued to smile as she reached across the counter top again to retrieve more shot glasses in the shelf underneath. With the precision of her trade she slid the glasses in front of him and filled them to the brim with the bottle's wicked potion. For good measure she grasped the glass neck of the bottle in her hand and flipped it once in the air before catching and balancing the base on her palm before setting the container back on the bar.
"Showoff," he muttered as he picked up one of the shots.
"Sorry," Tifa laughed. "I could have done better…but I'm a little drunk."
Cloud snorted before turning his eyes to her with a small smile playing on his lips. "So what are we drinking to?"
The young woman felt her cheeks flush in the shadows. She wasn't sure if she should share her illogical little dream with him. It seemed so pointless and childish now, wishing away the world around them. But she resigned herself to share everything with him now, even if it did seem silly. How else would she ever get him to open up if she didn't lead by example?
"A normal life," she replied, unable to hide the twinge of sadness in the unattainable reflection.
The young man's smile faded at the words and for the first time he noticed the melancholy glint in her sparkling eyes. He turned away and looked back to the drink in his hand. Tifa bit her lip and immediately regretted her careless slip of words. This was one time where she was just supposed to put on a happy face and lie. No doubt he was now thinking about how it was his fault that ordinary was something they could never hold onto. It wasn't. It never was. But you couldn't tell Cloud that, he tried to turn everything in on himself. It was stupid of her to say something like that. She would tell him so and she would tell him to blame the alcohol for bringing out her silly girlish notions. She damn well knew better than to drink.
"I could drink to that," he suddenly spoke up while raising his glass to her. The handful of words hovering in the back of her mouth suddenly tumbled down her throat in retreat. The smile returned to his face, now wider than before. Hesitantly she raised her own glass and pressed it to his. She considered warning him before he downed the alcohol, but it was already much too late when the brim reached his lips and the contents disappeared into his mouth.
He grimaced as the bitter liquid scorched his tongue and she listened to his breath exhaling sharply through gritted teeth. That alcohol could even get a reaction out of the immovable Cloud Strife. She looked away quickly, trying desperately to conceal her laughter. He gave her a halfhearted attempt of a glare as he coughed and sat the glass down.
"You're drinking Hellhound?" His eyebrows were raised slightly in surprise.
She thought back to the earlier connection she made between memories and pain. That was something that troubled the man sitting next to her on a daily basis. Of course he would know exactly what was in that bottle.
"It was sitting on the counter inviting me over. It was charming and seemed harmless enough. Guess I should have got to know him before the whole one night stand thing." The martial artist leaned against the bar and massaged the temples of her suddenly weightless head. "I'm guessing nothing will come of this but a morning of immense regret."
Cloud chuckled. "Oh yeah."
And with that statement he downed his second shot with greater ease. He wasn't about to let her suffer alone. He'd been guilty of that too many times before. He reached over the bar for more glasses, knowing he would need more to counteract the toxin absorbing abilities of the mako in his system.
"You know I don't like this comfortable familiarity you have with my date Cloud," she teased. "I thought I was treading new ground here."
"Zack's fault, hee muttered simply. She waited for elaboration that never came as he wiped at his eyes, the excruciating pain in his mouth causing them to tear up. He kept going though, picking up the third glass and doing his damnedest to conceal his agony. That was typical Cloud. There was no cure. Tifa just smiled and shook her head as she nursed her own drink with smaller sips.
They stayed in the comfortable silence for a time. It was something they had found that could be theirs and theirs alone. There wasn't a lot of activity beyond their walls. Edge had gone to bed hours ago, save for a few travelers and late night ventures. The Seventh Heaven creaked and groaned its protests as it settled in its foundation. She chuckled silently at the thought of her bar being a fussy youngster that fought sleep as much as the two children upstairs. It wasn't a secluded hideaway in the wilderness, and there was no sound of the wind whipping through the trees or the gentle churning of the river. But there was music all the same.
The young woman reconsidered telling him about her induced vision of their escape when he suddenly placed his hand atop hers. The warmth of the sudden contact sent chills down her spine as she forced the air sharply out of her lungs. She chanced a glance and found that he was looking at her with those glowing eyes of his, studying her in the darkness. It was exhilarating and unnerving at the same time. Swallowing hard she managed a small smile and he returned her favor with a slight squeeze on her hand.
"Tifa…" His voice broke the silence around him.
"We could leave." The swordsman stopped as if searching the air for words. "We could find somewhere away from all of this."
His next words were separated by a small sigh that expressed the futility of the thought. "We could try."
She felt the small pinprick of tears forming in her eyes upon hearing the blatant sincerity in his voice.
"Yeah?" her voice shook with the sudden onslaught of emotion.
He downed another drink before nodding and offering the most reassuring smile he could muster. Tifa felt the warmth of his hand against her cheek as he moved in closer. His thumb absently brushed away a stray tear that had escaped her eye.
"I promise we'll find it someday."
She nodded back at him before leaning more into his callused palm and caressing the back of his hand with her own before turning slightly to place her lips against his warm skin. They didn't need the river, or the house in the middle of nowhere to find the permanent peace they sought. The trick to life was to cherish those quiet moments between the storms. To live those normal days to the fullest. And if one day they didn't make it home to those kids she was going to make damn sure they knew how much she loved them every day she was given the chance. And then maybe someday...
"Our uninterrupted reality can't be interrupted forever right?"
"Nope," he answered hoarsely, the alcohol having burned away the clarity of his voice. Tifa watched him as he moved his hand away to rub the back of his neck, a standard nervous practice she had become all too familiar with. He was up to something. Cloud slid off his bar stool with the grace of a chocobo on an ice pond. The alcohol did little to suppress the laughter rising up from her throat. All she could do was cover her mouth haphazardly with her hand to keep from being too loud. He gave her a goofy look before offering her his hand and uttering words that were absolutely alien coming out of his mouth.
"Dance with me."
Tifa knew she hadn't heard that right. "What?"
"Dance. With. Me," he offered, trying harder to articulate the words.
She shook her head. "You're drunk," the barmaid said factually.
"So are you." He flashed his teeth before taking her by the arm and yanking her off her own perch. She nearly yelped in surprise as she stumbled from the stool and smacked face first into his chest. He grabbed her other arm in order to steady her on her feet. She started to curse him when her motherly instincts attempted to take action. "We're going to wake the kids."
"Nah."
"We're both drunk. This is bad parenting Cloud...if Barret finds out he'll kill us."
"Marlene won't tell...she owes me one."
Her jaw dropped in surprise. "For what?"
"I promised I wouldn't tell," he smirked, wrapping his arm around her waist and taking her hand with his free one. She sighed and followed suit placing her other hand on his shoulder. It had come as a complete shock when on a night much like this one he revealed his hidden ability after having a few drinks. He told her he'd learned to dance while he was trying out for SOLDIER. That was the first lesson in their sword training class. He had went on to explain how sword fighting was like dancing, both leading and following your opponent. All the while she continued giving him a look that told him how full of shit she thought he was. Then he had shown her, and actually taught her how to waltz. Amazing things always seemed to present themselves where he was concerned.
Of course he always forgot these skills when he was sober and in control of his inhibitions. That next morning he made her swear never to tell anyone. It became another one of his secret endearing charms that she loved about him. It was always an adventure finding Cloud Strife beneath his many layers.
They moved sloppily at first, bumping in to tables and chairs as he led her across the room, both of them laughing along the way. Soon they made it to a more open part of the bar. They moved softly on the wooden floor keeping their eyes on one another. He spun her out from him and twirled her back in where she collapsed against him in a fit of quiet laughter. He moved his other hand down to her waist and pulled her close. Tifa rested her head against his neck feeling the heat from his flushed skin as she tried to focus her deteriorating vision.
"Everything's spinning so fast Cloud."
She felt the tightening of his hold and the weight of his head against hers. The swordsman kept their feet moving as they both fought against the dizzying force of the room. The air had become hot and thick all of the sudden. She could feel his straying fingers beneath her shirt, composing delicate movements on the small of her back. This was all she knew to be true in that moment, the world could have its heroes while they stayed right here dancing slowly across an old wooden floor. The inner turmoil from before was left by the wayside as they moved in time to a song that played silently from their memories. That was until a frantic pounding on the door broke their reverie.
"Cloud!"
"Shit."
He had expressed her sentiments exactly. Both of them stopped moving, caught up in a loathing dread that was quickly filling the room. They never took their eyes off each other hoping desperately that if they were quiet he'd go away.
"I'm sorry to disturb you at this hour, but I'm afraid this is a dire emergency."
Tifa looked towards the door. Her gut instinct telling her to open it and let the world and its endless quests into their home once more. The grip on her waist tightened as Cloud shook his head softly against hers and forced her back into the simplistic movements of the waltz.
"Don't stop moving," he whispered. His breath hot against her ear.
The knocking came again. This time more urgent.
"What is it Reeve?" The words came out in an uncharacteristic growl she could feel reverberating in his throat.
"The Turks found something at the Northern Crater. It appears to be some sort of materia. I've never seen anything like this. I don't think anyone has. I need you to deliver it to Cosmo Canyon. Nanaki is going to take it to the council of elders to investigate it further."
"Strife Delivery Service is closed. And you should tell the them to stop messing around in the Northern Crater. They always seem to find trouble."
"Again I apologize for the intrusion. But I assure you I would not ask this of you if it wasn't of the utmost importance!"
"Let the Turks do it."
Tifa could imagine the exasperated sigh of the man on the other side of the door.
"Rufus has them on assignment, and besides I need speed. They don't own the fastest bike on the planet."
His mouth moved upward into a crooked smile. "Keys are in the ignition...have fun."
"What? I can't drive that damn thing!"
The young woman laughed softly at the man's growing frustration.
"Then it can wait until morning," he countered.
"No it can't. Cloud...its possible that this could be a hybrid of the black materia. If there are more of these out there, the planet could be in real danger!"
"The planet will still be here...in the morning."
Reeve suddenly lost his composure. "Damn it this isn't like you! Don't you want to prevent the planet from falling into crisis...again? You're in the WRO! This is part of what we do! Now open the goddamned door!" He pounded his fist against the wood for emphasis.
"You're going to find yourself in an entirely different kind of crisis if you wake the kids Reeve!" Tifa spat, a little more venomously than she'd meant to. She turned to see him peering through the window trying hard to see the occupants inside.
" Tifa?" his toned softened, "You know I wouldn't be here if this were not important. Its not safe for me to be carrying this thing around out here. I would have called if this were anything less than an immediate emergency. Please...just open the door."
She sighed. He was right. Reeve Tuesti himself was standing outside their door in the dead of night with a potentially catastrophic materia residing in his pocket. It wasn't his robotic cat or that red haired idiot and his stoic friend. This was important, and that point was impossible to argue against her moral compass.
"Cloud..."
He grumbled something roughly the equivalent of 'no', sensing what she was about to suggest.
"We should probably let him in."
"Don't stop," he warned again.
She glanced over to the window. "If it were anybody else I would say forget it but he came all the way down here on his own, so I know this isn't something we should just take light...."
Tifa did not get to finish her sentence before Cloud silenced her lips with his own. And just like that she was drowning in him, in the pungent smell of the alcohol, and in the dream that this could always be their reality. She closed her eyes and drifted away. She couldn't tell if her feet were still moving or not. Everything around them had become a blur.
He released her lips from their captivity and pressed his head against hers once more. A careful hand tucked the wayward strands of hair behind her ear. His breath tickling the sensitive skin as he leaned in close, his soft voice penetrating the stillness around them.
"Just let it spin Tifa."
She didn't know when they had finally stopped dancing that night. Or when Reeve finally gave up and left. Though she could vaguely recall him muttering about coming back in the morning. That night she didn't remember anything else. Nothing ringing more true than those words that were more intoxicating than all of the alcohol aligning the shelves of the 7th Heaven. Though it was debatable if they were anymore intoxicating than the man in front of her with his arms wrapped tightly around her waist as he lead both their feet across the groaning floorboards. And in her mind the river sang the melody that kept them dancing.
"Just for tonight, let the world spin without us."
He didn't need to tell her twice.